Int'l tourist arrivals in Thailand likely to exceed target in 2016

BANGKOK, August 10 (TNA) - The Ministry of Tourism and Sports says that the number of international tourist arrivals in Thailand is likely to reach 33 million by the end of this year, exceeding its target and earning the Kingdom about 2.4 trillion baht of tourism-related revenues. Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkura told journalists of the positive prospect on Wednesday, saying that her ministry has earlier targeted that the number of international visitors to Thailand should stand about 33 million by the end of this year. Kobkarn noted that Thailand's tourism growth has met her ministry's target so far this year, with a 11.79 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of international tourist arrivals during January 1-August 7 and a 15.80 per cent year-on-year increase in tourism-related revenues during the same period, or an increase of one trillion baht. Kobkarn expressed her confidence that the number of international visitors to Thailand would, thus, reach about 33 million by the end of this year, earning the Kingdom about 2.4 trillion baht of tourism-related revenues. According to the minister, her ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have worked together to draw in more tourists from Russia and Kazakhstan, where the number of visitors to the Thai Kingdom has been continually rising. The minister revealed that the number of Russian visitors to Thailand stood at 800,000 throughout last year and at 550,000 during the first half of this year, earning the Kingdom about 45.46 billion tourism-related revenues, predicting that the number of Russian tourist arrivals in the country should stand as high as 1.1 million throughout 2016. For those from Kazakhstan, the minister stated that a total of 56,000 of them visited Thailand last year and 25,000 of them had visited the Thai Kingdom during the first half of this year. Meanwhile, Russia, Kazakhstan and Thailand have agreed to promote Thai boxing at Olympic Games. Thailand's attractions among Russian and Kazakh travelers reportedly include spa services and newly-introduced tourist sites, apart from sport facilities suitable for being a training hub for international athletes. (TNA)